The Viceroy butterfly closely resembles the Monarch, with orange-brown wings and bold black veins. However, it can be distinguished by a horizontal black line across its hind wings. Viceroys are found throughout much of North America.
“Viceroy Butterfly” by Benny Mazur, licensed under (CC BY 2.0)
Viceroy Facts
Butterfly Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)
Butterfly Subfamily: Limenitidinae
Butterfly Wingspan: 2 1/2 – 3 3/8 inches
Butterfly Habitat: Moist open or shrubby areas such as lake and swamp edges, willow thickets, valley bottoms, wet meadows, and roadsides
🪴Host Plants
These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:
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Cottonwoods (Populus deltoides)
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Poplars (Populus spp.)
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Willows (Salix spp.)
🌸 Nectar Plants
Adult Viceroy butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of native flowers:
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Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.)
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Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
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Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
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Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
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Ironweed (Vernonia spp.)
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Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)
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Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
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Vervain (Verbena spp.)